The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-01
GORDON'S AIN IN OHIO.
HE is THERE TO DENY SOME LIES
ABOUT THE SOUTH.

The Respective Personal Merits of the
Two Candidates for the Governorship
Not to be Discussed-The Old Chest
nut About Prosecuting Negroes
Given Another Hard Rap.
COLUMBUS, o., Oct. 3l.-Ctov. John B.
Gordon of Georgia, addressed a political
meeting at the City Hall tonight. a parade
of the local clubs preceded the meeting,
and it was about 8 o'clock before they
reached the hall and speaking began. There
were over 5000 persons present, and
more than that many who could
not gain admission Gen. Gordon was
guest at the residence of Judge Allan g.
Thurman, and with the latter in carriage
was escorted to the place of meeting. Both
were enthusiastically received. Gov. Cor
don was Immediately introduced and fire.
quently cheered during the course of his
speech.
Judge Thurman participated freely in this
part of the demonstration.
GOV. GORDON's SPEECH.
The speaker began by referring to a tele-
gram which he sent before coming in
answer to the communication of the COM
lulbtGt lllNlLluS nlUl W LHt ENbdlt, anu Sditl
he was not here for the purpose of discussing
either of the gentlemen who are
candidates before the people and that he
expected TO return South without doing so,
He assured them that should either candi-
date come to Georgia they would be met
with open arms as well as any other dis
tinguished Democrat or Republican. He
emphasized the point by saying that the
sooner the barriers between the two
tot .,,I
the citizens of this and that State become
acquainted with the views of each other,
the better it would be for all The speaker
apparently felt called upon TO defend him
self against the criticisms of the press since
his arrival in the State, aud proceeded TO
do so, claiming that his life is an open book,
no page of which he was
inspected In April, 1866, he had gathered
around him the remnant of the right of
Gen. Lees army at Appomattox before the
smoke of battle had cleared away, and told
his comrades that the war was over, that the
Union, country and the flag were restored,
and the President sustained
HAS KEPT THE PEACE EVER SINCE.
With the parole of that great captain,
| Gen. Grant, in his pocket he went home to
| keep the peace, and he had done So Gov
| Gordon then entered upon discussion Of sec
tional passion and prejudices, and inquired
into the excuse for keeping it alive and the
| effects of it upon the country. The inn
preston had gained ground that the
white people of the South
ern States were expressing the negroes
of those States. If true, they deserved the
| contempt of the people of the North, and
| if not so, there was a great wrong being
| done somewhere. He expected to meet this
charge and prove it to be false, but he had
no hope in diverting the course of that
| class who excite passion for Office, as it
could not be done.
NOT KU KLUX.
1t had beal, charged by leading Repub-
ican authority that he was leader among
the Kuklux Klan and that he had never
been reconstructed but defied the constitu-
ton and the laws He offered in his defense
to all of these charges the evidence of a
colored Republican, whom he pronounced
the ablest colored man on the con-
tinent, referring to H. NJ. Turner, of
Georgia, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and editor of the Southern Re
corder The article from which the selec-
ton was read was entitled "Gov. Gordon
and h Critics, and was complimentary in
tone to the Governor in many
way, especially 50 regarding his treat
men, of colored men. Among the
stronger expressions of the Bishop in the
editorial were that 1--WE have yet to hear of
Gov. Gordon abusing or villifying any man
of the colored race, So far as Gov. Gordon
being censured by our fr ends, either
North or South, we think him
entitled to our lasting gratitude, and thank
him from the bottom of our hearts" The
speaker said many Republicans had been
led TO believe that the colored people of the
South were being trampled under foot, but
the evidence which he had produced ought
to be satisfactory, and would be, except to
that class who would willingly ride
into office on a sea of blackmen's blood.
The speaker entered further into detail to
answer the accusations of newspapers that
he had been connected with the Ku Klux
saving he wished to prove him elf clear, for
if the chief should be shown to be innocent
the probabilities in the minds of all would
be that the smaller offenders were not guilty
either.
THE CONGRESSIONAL INvESTIG ALTON.
In this connection he explained the report
of the Investigation Committee of Congress,
before which he testified when the Con-
greSsoual committee were inquiring into
the Ku Klux. He explained that he be-
longed TO private organization which was
formed among the best citizens for the pro-
lection of their homes and their families
This was for the purpose of protecting
themselves against bad men who had come
among them after the war. Citizens and
especially those who had held any character
of office under the Confederacy were dis
franchised, and a mass of ignorant colored
people were given the ballot and the result
was that the offices, the courts and their
entire protection were taken away from
them by carpet-baggers. The speaker next
compared the financial and social condition
of the negroes of Georgia with those of this
and other States and by statistics claimed
that they had advanced TO marvellous